The decision by Mayor Steve Adler and City Council last month to abandon CodeNEXT, a proposed rewrite of the Land Development Code, reflected the deep divisions in the community over the prospect of increased residential density in single-family neighborhoods. However, in response to a questionnaire sent out by AURA, an urbanist advocacy group that supports […]
Jack Craver
Posted inWhispers
City debates releasing land to Dripping Springs
Once the city acquires land, it is exceedingly rare that it gives it up. However, that’s essentially what city staff has recommended Council do with two parcels of land (totaling 33 acres) on both sides of U.S. Highway 290, between Austin and Dripping Springs. The land is currently part of Austin’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, but under […]
Posted inDevelopment
City of Austin adds 136 acres south of Onion Creek
On Thursday, City Council voted to have the city of Austin annex the Cascades Municipal Utility District, 136 acres of undeveloped land south of Onion Creek. The landowner, Onion Associates Ltd., entered into an agreement with the city in 2014 to create the MUD as part of its plans to develop the land. Original plans […]
Posted inTransportation
Figures show Austinites love and hate scooters
Members of Austin City Council have plenty of concerns about the operation of dockless vehicles, particularly electric scooters. But they all appear to agree that the vehicles are here to stay, if for no other reason than they have proved wildly popular. In July, people in Austin took 137,000 trips on dockless vehicles. The vast […]
Posted inPreservation
City estimate: Preserving Montopolis Negro School would cost $5.7M
The city of Austin is beginning the process of using eminent domain to seize the 1-acre plot at 500 Montopolis Ave., home of an 83-year-old building that was once the Montopolis Negro School. The structure is a rare vestige of the system of “Rural Negro Schools” operated by Travis County prior to desegregation. In June, […]
Posted inTransit
Cap Metro: Key to high-capacity transit is dedicated right of way
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is still a few months away from announcing what modes of transportation it plans to propose for Project Connect, the long-term plan to bring high-capacity public transit to the Austin metropolitan area. Potential solutions include light rail, bus rapid transit, a dramatic expansion of existing MetroRapid bus service, or even […]
Posted inAustin
Commission calls on Austin to ban cat declawing
The city Animal Advisory Commission has unanimously recommended that the city ban cat declawing. The commission unanimously approved the resolution on Monday after hearing an hour of testimony from veterinarians and animal rights activists, most of whom described declawing as a painful procedure that serves no medical purpose. Roy Smith, who has been a practicing […]
Posted inBudget
City boosts spending on homelessness, but advocates still disappointed
The Fiscal Year 2018-19 budget approved by City Council on Tuesday includes a $3.4 million increase in funding for homelessness services. City staff estimates that the new funds come on top of more than $26 million in annual city spending on programs related to homelessness. Most of the new money – $2.4 million – was […]
Posted inBudget
With stunning speed, Council approves budget
For the first time in years, City Council spent less than a day deliberating on its fiscal year budget. Council approved a $4.1 billion budget that will raise the effective property tax rate by 5.4 percent. Austin property owners will pay 44.03 cents per $100 of property valuation. That rate is actually lower than the […]
Posted inWhispers
Laura Morrison releases first campaign ad
On Saturday, former Council Member Laura Morrison unveiled her first campaign ad in her bid to unseat Mayor Steve Adler. The one-minute video features footage of Morrison driving through town, talking with people at a town hall meeting and taking a dip at Barton Springs Pool. “I hear from folks all over the city who […]
Posted inParks
City doesn’t want Austin Rowing Club’s special deal to be too sweet
City Council voted in June to grant the Austin Rowing Club the unusual privilege of negotiating a contract renewal with the city without going through the typical bidding process. ARC and Council members argued that the special deal was warranted because the club, which had a five-year contract to operate the city-owned Waller Creek Boathouse […]
Posted inParks
One part of Camelback PUD isn’t controversial: A big new park
The Parks and Recreation Board couldn’t find anything bad to say about the parkland proposed as part of the Camelback PUD, a proposed mixed-use development on a 145-acre plot of land that fronts Lake Austin just west of Loop 360. Members of the board noted nearby residents opposed to the project may have legitimate concerns, […]